Monday, December 28, 2009

As lovely as Colonial Williamsburg is to the eye, it's also pleasing to the other senses, too. We can't give you a taste of 18th c. style hot chocolate via the blog (though we wish we could!) or make the scent of an open fire come wafting through your computer screen. We can, however, share the stirring sounds of the fife and drum corps as they march down Duke of Gloucester Street –– here's the link to a number of their performances in videos, slide-shows, and audio clips. The corps consists of school-aged boys and girls (and yes, we realize it's not entirely accurate to include girls, even girls dressed as boys, but as Nerdy History GIRLS we can't help but applaud the equal opportunity) from the town of Williamsburg; competition for the corps is fierce, as is the rigorous training and practice, but the resulting performances help bring Colonial Williamsburg to stirring life, whatever the season. It's impossible to hear them without falling into step, and as they march through the town they always draw a huge crowd following after them in an impromptu parade. A very cool experience!

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comments:

That's awesome they use the kids like that. The pipers in the picture I posted are all adult players and that night, they weren't marching. Just standing outside the salt box, real close to the fire ;) It really was pretty cold. I could have stood there all night and listened to them though.

I'm going to have to make a point of visiting Colonial Williamsburg. This is my kind of vacation. Not the DH's, but I don't mind going alone.

As an interesting side note, at Greenfield Village, is the Henry Ford Academy. A high school in the village, students attend from several districts and the competition to get in is fierce. They take the 1900 train from the entrance back to the school every day and vice versa. Wouldn't that be a neat way to go to school?

I visited Williamsburg years ago on a school trip, and I've never forgotten the Fife and Drum music (and how I thought all the boys in their soldier uniforms were so cute, lol!) Your picture and the links to the mp3s brought it all right back.Happy Holidays to the History Girls and everyone else!

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A Polite Explanation

There’s a big difference in how we use history. But we’re equally nuts about it. To us, the everyday details of life in the past are things to talk about, ponder, make fun of -- much in the way normal people talk about their favorite reality show.

We talk about who’s wearing what and who’s sleeping with whom. We try to sort out rumor or myth from fact. We thought there must be at least three other people out there who think history’s fascinating and fun, too. This blog is for them.